52 



NATURAL HISTORY BULLETIN 



spores 20 by 10/*; paraphyses enlarged upwards and containing 

 coloring matter. 



On the ground, Iowa City. 



Several specimens of this species have been collected by Pro- 

 fessors Macbride and Shimek. The plants are very attractive 

 from their large size and peculiar form. 



HELVELLA Linn., Sp. PI. ed. 2, 1649. 1763. 



Receptacle pileate, supported by the center, deflected, concave 

 and sterile beneath ; upper surface of the pileus covered by the 

 hymenium which is even ; stem always present, united by the 

 center to the pileus, hollow or filled with cavities; in mature 

 plants pileus compressed, lobate, substance waxy-membrana- 

 ceous; asci cylindrical, 8-spored; spores elliptical, smooth; para- 

 physes linear. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



Stem slender, even H. elastica. 



Stem stout, with deep furrows. 



Plants entirely white or whitish H. crispa. 



Plants with pileus dark brownish to blackish. . . M. lacunosa. 



*Hellvella elastica Bull., Champ. 299. 1809. 



Plate 5, f. ii. 



•Helvella crispa (Scop.) Fries, Syst. Myc, 2:14. 1822. 



Plate 5, f. i. 



Phallus crispus Scop., Fl. Carn. 2: 475. 1772. 



Helvella lacunosa Afzel, Act. Holm., 304. 1785. 



Pileus inflated, unequally lobed, cinereous-black ; margin of the 

 pileus adnate with the stem; stem rather slender as compared 

 with the preceding, and often more or less twisted, yellowish, 

 lighter than the pileus; asci cylindrical, 8-spored; spores 1- 

 seriate, elliptical, 18 by IOju.; paraphyses filiform, slender. 



On the ground in woods, Iowa City and Mt. Pleasant. 



Distinguished from the preceding by the darker pileus and 

 more slender stem. The plants of this species vary much in 

 size, specimens collected in Iowa City are from 2 to 6 cm. high 

 while those collected in Mt. Pleasant were much smaller on the 



